wildcardjack:coeyagi: coeyagi: This is the litmus test: what does the rest of the world think about gun control? No other first world country has this culture of violence and the culture of guns.

But but but American Exceptionalism!

And thus continues the cycle of mass shootings.

Whoops, wrong thread.

Actually, it kinda works. I don't think we'd weep over a mass shooting of lobbyists.

The problem isn't mass shootings. The problem is mass shooting of the wrong people. Lobbyists are one of the main reasons our elected officials don't give a shiat about what we (the voters) think. Second to lobbyiests is voters who don't have a problem with politicians who break their promises (which is most voters).

I for one, am shocked and appalled at this attempt to chill the free speech of America's Lobbyist-Patriots. These brave men and women who are only trying to give the best guidance that money can buy to under-compensated and over-worked public servants.

OgreMagi:The problem isn't mass shootings. The problem is mass shooting of the wrong people. Lobbyists are one of the main reasons our elected officials don't give a shiat about what we (the voters) think. Second to lobbyiests is voters who don't have a problem with politicians who break their promises (which is most voters).

Yeah, see....if the shooter had opened up on K Street, would anyone really feel bad about it?

nyseattitude:Any and all communication between lobbyists and members of Congress should be recorded public information

If you think that that's in any way easy, appropriate, or in any way a solution to the problem, you haven't the faintest idea how congress actually works.

Most communication is in meetings. Which don't usually last that long. Would you like all of them recorded? A transcript? Who's paying for the transcript? If raw video is fine, do you realize that watching the video would be more than a full time job? Congressmen and Senators don't just sit on the floor and ponder policy, their life is a living hell of meetings, more meetings, and begging on the phone for money (which most loathe). Many are with constituents about issues they're concerned about. They like those meetings, they're fun, and it's just about the only time they really get to talk about real policy with somebody who's not paid to express an opinion. But if you're from a state where constituents rarely make it to the hill, guess who you're meeting with? And since lobbyists are giving you money, you have to take the meeting. And you need the money, because our election system is so farked up.

Also, who are you defining as a lobbyist? A "registered lobbyist'? Yes, they're around, but a lot of the people doing lobbying on the hill don't fall into the legal definition for various, perfectly legitimate reasons. If you go to the Hill and meet your congressperson, that's lobbying. Is that gonna be covered?

Now, do you extend that requirement about meetings being recorded or put into transcript forms to staff? Most of the real work gets done on the staff level, after all, and they're taking a lot of meetings too. But that poses a real logistical challenge- there's not a lot of room in the congressional office buildings, so meeting rooms are constantly full. People take meetings in the cafeterias, courtyards, walking down corridors... How are you going to get the camera or stenographer around? And do you have any idea how many cameramen and stenographers you'd have to hire? Where's that budget coming from? You're talking about hiring a number of people roughly equivalent to the entire body of hill staff. Where are you going to put them? You'd need a few more massive buildings in the capital complex, and that land ain't cheap. The buildings also have to be built to pretty rigorous specifications- you're not talking about your average office building. Average office buildings don't have hardened areas that can protect you in case of military attack, nor do they have equipment in case of a chemical or biological attack scattered about in the corridors.

Easy and cheap answers make you think you've solved a problem, but the real world is much more complex.

Not gonna go into it now, but if you want a solution, it has to be structural in how we run and fund campaigns. Nothing less is gonna have any effect.